Archive for DISNEY CRUISE LINE

I would like to start this post off by saying…Yes, I realize it’s January! 🙂

But I’m a planner! Especially when it comes to Disney! and these will sell out!

and Yes, I’m going!

Disney has always known how to keep the crowds coming! They are constantly developing new programs and ideas so returning guests don’t repeat the same experiences over again.

This went over well last year so it’s back for 2014!!

What could be better then spending Christmas 2014 on a Disney Christmas cruise!

A winter wonderland awaits you aboard each ship—as well as at Castaway Cay!

Disney’s private island paradise is transformed with “snow” flurries, a Christmas tree and more. Be on the lookout for Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, dressed in their island attire. Plus, the island’s tram is decorated to resemble a reindeer, complete with antlers and a tail.

Like this:

If you are young at heart and you want to have the Disney Experience off land, hop on board and give in to your childhood fantasies! This ship was built for the kids with grown ups in mind.

Reading this review please take into consideration these are my own thoughts and opinions from my own experience. My comparisons are based to other cruise lines. This was my 9th cruise but 1st on Disney.

Parents will pay a hefty price for the innovations on Disney Dream, Decor is a combination of nautical and Disney character motifs, mostly in red, white and blue. Although there are plenty of “hidden Mickey’s” for fans to seek out, most of the character decor is subtle rather than in your face.

Kids will discover a plethora of features onboard the Disney Dream – whether it’s exclusively for children, teens, or families! One of the most innovative features is the exciting 765-foot-long AquaDuck water coaster, sends guests on an exhilarating journey around four decks over the side of the ship. The young ones will enjoy playing in Nemo’s Reef and Mickey’s Pool. Although when the ship is at full capacity good luck! This would be one of the negative aspects that I noticed the first day. When you have that many young children you need more pool space.

Adults do have their own “Quiet” Cove Pool – an adults-only area featuring a 4-foot deep main pool with connecting bar. The problem here is the location. It is located between an elevator and a dining area. So you constantly have children and parents walking through the “Quiet” area. So it is anything but. Are the adults-only facilities so extensive that a grown-up could sail on this ship without coming in contact with children? No! You may find a refuge in The District …where at night it turns into an adults-only zone, with Evolution, a nightclub; the Skyline Lounge, with video skylines of five cities (New York, Chicago, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Hong Kong) and drinks inspired by those cities; Pink, a champagne bar with Murano pink glass bubbles, Riedel pink champagne flutes and pink champagne by Tattinger; 687, a pub; and the District Lounge, with live piano music. in fact, an adult Mickey fan traveling without children might find some of the ships features downright annoying (example: When Crush the animated sea turtle comes to life during dinner in Animator’s Palate, conversation is virtually impossible). And it may not be the right ship for a family with older teens. Disney ships “are the perfect choice if you have small children — seeing the princesses, being able to take your picture with Mickey and Minnie. And if the grandparents want to tag along, it’s a good fit. But if you have 16-, 17-year-olds, that’s where other cruise lines might be a better choice.” This ship is all about the kids, characters and the Disney magic. Not a Disney Fan?….don’t even bother.

The Disney Dream also provides many Disney-themed kids clubs, areas, and programs. Ages as young as 3 months can stay in the It’s a Small World Nursery, kids can dress up as their favorite princess or hero in Disney’s Oceaneer Club, and children can partake in a wide variety of interactive games and crafts in Disney’s Oceaneer Lab. Also, kids ages 11 through 13 can hang out in Edge, a ‘tweens-exclusive’ space with videogames, music, and more, and teen’s ages 14 through 17 can enjoy their own exclusive area in the Vibe venue.

The kids clubs are absolutely AMAZING! There is nothing on the open seas to compare them to. “This space is all about magic and pixie dust,” as quoted by one of the imagineers. Disney gets high marks in this category! So much thought and creativity has been put into these rooms it is unbelievable. ”Enchanted art” is all over the ship — photos, cartoon cells and other art that come to life when a passerby sets off a motion detector. Talk about advanced technology. There are 2 pictures that actually shoot canons at each other!

The Dream uses the rotation dining system. Guests are assigned to a seating group that rotates through three main dining rooms, along with their wait-service team. The restaurants are: animator’s Palate, featuring design sketches and scenes from films that look like papers pinned to bulletin boards but are really video screens — starts out mostly in black and white, and gradually turns to color during the evening. This is also where Crush, the surfer-dude sea turtle from “Finding Nemo,” appears on huge video screens and talks with diners. Enchanted Garden, inspired by the gardens at Versailles, has trees, trellises, light fixtures that “bloom” into flowers, and a Mickey Mouse fountain. At night, the ceiling becomes a sky full of stars. Royall Palace, the most elegant of the three, has a design inspired by four of Disney’s classic princess movies: “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The decor is regal — hand-blown glass chandelier, wall sconces from “Beauty and the Beast,” fluted columns from “Cinderella,” portraits of the princesses, and window valances topped with tiaras.

Perhaps because Disney carries a greater percentage of families than other lines, it also has one of the best bathroom setups, The bathroom is split by a full wall with a toilet and sink on one side, and a small tub, shower and sink on the other. Very convenient in the mornings. If I were to find any little flaw it would be the hairdryers on the Disney Dream are not very good. If you want to dry your hair quick, you will want to bring your own. I did find that they work better if you plug them into the vanity in the room. The clocks in the staterooms, another little pick, were a little hard to figure out and they had the strongest blue light ever! It illuminated the whole room. I had to turn it to face the wall.

Like the other Disney ships, the Dream does not have a casino. It does have a 16,000-foot spa with exercise equipment and classes, salon and barber shop. The Buena Vista Theatre screens movies all day, some in 3-D. It was a nice surprise to see movies that were currently playing in the theatres. The Disney Dream Walt Disney Theatre had a wonderful show every night of the cruise. Our line-up included the Golden Mickey’s, Villain’s Tonight, and Believe! They were all excellent! Great for all ages with an adult twist. Villain’s Tonight was my favorite it was hilarious.

Castaway Cay is officially one of my favorite places on Earth! I would take another cruise just to go there! We all agreed this was the best part of the whole trip. The water is beautiful. There is something for everyone to do; water slides, palm trees to lay under, water bikes, stingrays, snorkeling, bicycles, massages cabanas, endless drinks and even places to eat. Disney makes everything easy for you, and the food, childcare, and beach experience is no exception. The new water slide was great, but you have to swim out and back about 50 yards to use it. Disney’s idea of a buffer, I guess. The entire operation was well supervised with life jackets for kids who were not great swimmers. The “Spring-a-Leak” water playground may not look like much to an adult (a series of spouting water), but every kid between 3-10 loved it. They also have a kids club, which features a “whale Dig” children dig for whalebones in the sand. As adults is was great to be able to relax at a beach knowing kids were engaged and safe. Which brings me to Serenity Bay, this is a adults only beach. It is beautiful and quiet!

As I said, overall the cruise was amazing. It’s obvious that it’s a new ship and the crew is still getting their “sea legs” so to speak, but nothing major and nothing that took away from the quality of the cruise and ship.